Tokyo, Feb. 2 (Jiji Press)—An increasing number of private junior high schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Kansai region are introducing English in their general entrance examinations.

Parents are showing great interest in the subject, reflecting progress in globalization and an expected change in the question format for university entrance examinations’ English tests.

With the start of the entrance exam season, private junior high schools hope to highlight their efforts to beef up English studies through such moves, while aiming to attract children who are competent in the English language.

According to data compiled by an operator of junior high school mock entrance exams, 101 private junior high schools in Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa have included or will include English in their entrance exams for the 2018 academic year, which starts in April.

Meanwhile, the total number of schools in Osaka, Kyoto, Hyōgo, Shiga, Nara, and Wakayama Prefectures that have adopted or will adopt English for their exams stood at 28, up sharply from 6 schools four years ago, according to Hamagakuen, a major cram school.